Free Microsoft Anti-Spy program

  • Thread starter Thread starter Frank Bohan
  • Start date Start date
I ran the Microsoft product. It said I had no spyware installed.
Then ran Ad-Aware. It showed 26 !!!
What gives ?
Click to expand...

NO spyware tool - including the MS one - detects ALL spyware. You
HAVE to either run more than one - or install blocking files like the
one here http://www.spywareguide.com/blockfile.php - OR just not get
much spyware in the first place by not going to a lot of the cheesier
commercial sites.

I can go to a ton of porn sites and still not get spyware because most
porn sites don't bother - they know what you want, so they don't need
to do any market spying. Also no reputable company will advertise on
them because it looks bad. So where people get spyware is from sports
sites and the cheesier commercial sites. Stay away from them and you
won't get spyware...
 
You'll regret that, if you get any decent amount of spyware in the
first place. The fact of the matter is it does NOT replace those two
spyware tools. NO review I've seen so far suggests that it does. See
the PC Magazine test I posted to one of the previous threads on this.
Click to expand...

I'm not making any recommendations. I'm saying it replaced 2 other programs
on my personal machine. I don't intentionally visit any porn, crack, hack,
or warez sites. Anyone that does should double up on protection.

On second thought, anyone that does probably deserve what they get. :)

You can also use the spyware block list file from here:
http://www.spywareguide.com/blockfile.php which installs Active X
blocks to prevent the most used spyware controls.
Click to expand...

Nice Reg file. Thanks!

I still use SpywareBlaster. If someone is brave enough to use just 1
anti-spyware program, at least use SpywareBlaster to immunize the registry
from over 3000 of the moist common offenders.

-- Bob
 
On Sat, 22 Jan 2005 06:52:18 GMT, Richard Steven Hack


Nice Reg file. Thanks!

I still use SpywareBlaster. If someone is brave enough to use just 1
anti-spyware program, at least use SpywareBlaster to immunize the
registry from over 3000 of the moist common offenders.

-- Bob
Click to expand...

Have to disagree with this recommendation , Bob. Spywareblaster is good,
but it protects you only against activeX controls. You can disable
activex completely anyway, and dispense with this tool. Cookies can be
handled as well using browser controls.

If you only have to use one anti=spyware tool , it should be a generic
scanner tool, like ad-aware, Spybot or MS's tool until it goes payware
anyway.

But like Ricard, I still think it's a boneheaded move though. Both ad-
aware and Spybot arent that large, so unless you really have a hard-disk
space problem, why not keep them installed and run them on demand?
 
Have to disagree with this recommendation , Bob. Spywareblaster is good,
but it protects you only against activeX controls. You can disable
activex completely anyway, and dispense with this tool. Cookies can be
handled as well using browser controls.

If you only have to use one anti=spyware tool , it should be a generic
scanner tool, like ad-aware, Spybot or MS's tool until it goes payware
anyway.

But like Ricard, I still think it's a boneheaded move though. Both ad-
aware and Spybot arent that large, so unless you really have a hard-disk
space problem, why not keep them installed and run them on demand?
Click to expand...


Forgot to mention: I dropped "WinPatrol" too. Since the MS program monitors
changes to startup, services, Registry "run" keys, file associations, HOSTS
file, etc. I don't need it any more.

I have my browser security set to "ask" to install ActivX controls. It
doesn't need to ask very often, so it doesn't drive me crazy.

-- Bob
 
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